But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, be patient! For it will surely take place. It will not be late by a single day." Habakkuk 2:3


Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he's the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:5-6

....one of my favorites....

Psalm 103
Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins,
and heals your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things,
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's......

For as high as the heavens are above the earth
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our trangressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

this journey is coming to an end....

i was notified today that we have 10 days left to receive a referral from Vietnam in order for there to be enough time to complete the required paperwork before Sept. 1st....10 days.....and it does not look like we will end this part of the journey with a baby. pray for us, it's been an emotional year to say the least.

Thank you for this, friend....

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!" (Is. 30:18)

If you are awaiting the fulfillment of a vision in your life, ask the Lord for His grace to sustain you. It will be worth the wait.

...six LONG weeks left....

to receive a referral before the close of adoptions between the US and Vietnam. Please pray for peace and patience and, of course, for some great news.
I'm wavering between peace and throwing a temper tantrum (which I'm sure would look really funny to my kids:).

Summer Fun!

nothing new, but....

after talking with our agency through email today, it is very possible that we will not have a referral by the cut off date of 9/1. possible, but not positive. so we'll continue to wait and see.

...yes, still waiting.....

i wish i had some really great news to post, but nothing yet. yesterday was 8 months 'DTV' and we still wait...and hope....i feel like i could get a call any day with news of a referral or news that it just isn't going to happen in time. But I'm still praying!

tick...tick...tick

good news-A few more families from our agency received referrals this week.

our news-We are still waiting....

...it's been awhile...

So it's been a month since my last update, but really, no new news. We've been told that so far the agreement to continue adoptions has not yet been resigned, so as of now, we still need a referral by Sept. 1st to be able to continue. We are 'cautiously hopeful' at this point...and still praying! Monday will be 7 months since our paperwork was sent over, at the start of this crazy adventure referral time was estimated to be 4-6 months, now it is 7-9 months. Let's hope so!

HOPE

A few of the families at our agency received their referrals and one even got approval to travel!

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the LORD;be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

More Press

This article was on the front page of the Chicago Tribune today. A little different perspective....

Proverbs 16:9...

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

There is an official statement out today from the US government stating that the agreement to continue adoptions between the US and Vietnam will not be resigned. This means that official referrals for children will need to be made by September 1st or paperwork will be returned. We do not know the length of time adoptions from this country will be suspended, nor does anyone. Please pray that if this is the Lord's plan for our family, HE will see it through to completion. At this point, it is all we can do....

MSNBC story
US Embassy statement

5 months DTV

Our paperwork has been in Vietnam for 5 months today....which means we are 5 months closer to meeting our little girl, but still no news when that may be!

Every child is a gift from God......some just take a little longer to get home!

No News Yet

Trust in God....Trust in God.....Trust in God.....i keep repeating this in my head when i start to get anxious about WHEN we will hear news about our little girl. my head understands, my heart is having a harder time.

Great Week

It's been a week of great news from families at our agency. Many families received their approval to travel to get their little ones and will be leaving soon.... and a few families even received their referrals! Things seem to be moving in a positive direction...yay!!

Prayers Needed

There is a virus going through the orphanages right now causing many babies to be hospitalized. Some of these babies have lost their lives due to complications from the virus....some had already been matched with a family who was working to get them home. Please pray health for the babies and love over the families who had already welcomed these little ones into their hearts. Click here to read more about the virus.

HMMM

Just to let you know that my kids are thinking about the adoption....the latest question was from Jacob: Are we going to keep it a secret that she was adopted?
Well, of course, I was cracking up on the inside but thought it was really great that he is thinking through all of the issues. I answered that we were never thinking of keeping it a secret, but she will not look like us, so it will be very obvious that she is adopted. So even before she realizes it, other people will start to ask us about her. It DID open up a great conversation about what our answers will be....i just love my kids!

I've been tagged

My friend Karen tagged me for a meme. I think I'm supposed to answer a bunch of questions about myself......

The Four Things MEME

4 jobs I have had:
swim instructor
frozen yogurt squirter(remember, it was all the rage in college)
speech pathologist
Mom(eg. maid, taxi driver, nurse, teacher...i fill in as i go)

4 places i've been
Sweden
Italy
China
NYC

4 movies i've watched over and over
Grease
Singles
The Notebook(yes, i cry every time)
Rocky

4 shows i watch:
Lost
24(is it coming back?)
House
Friday Night Lights

4 places i'd rather be right now:
Hello...i'm adopting, so Vietnam:)
sunning at the beach
vacation with my husband
vacation with my family

4 favorite things to eat:
chocolate anything
a really fabulous slice of cheese pizza
chips and queso
lettuce wraps at pf chang

4 places i've lived:
Brandon, FL
Tallahassee, FL
Amarillo, TX
Yakima, WA

4 things to look forward to this year:
Again, this IS an adoption blog...so seeing my litte girl for the first time
Jacob turning double digits
Camdyn's first communion
SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy New Year!

Today is a big celebration in Vietnam....Tet. It is the beginning of the new year, the year of the rat/mouse. I've been told that children born in the year of the rat love to be cuddled, love to eat, love to sleep, and are eager to learn. Sounds great to me:) And Tet actually spans over several weeks in February, it is a time when families travel to be together and special festivals are held. In 2009, we will have a new holiday to celebrate!